City Square

[Cardiarms]

This website claims the statues of the worthy now stand atop the bogs.http://www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk/ci ... quare.html

[simong]

chameleon wrote: 'the toilets was there with a light still on and all working perfect.'If the light was still on, one heck of a lamp bulb - where d'you buy them? It's switching tungsten filament bulbs on and off that shortens their life. There are records of bulbs that have been on for fifty years or more without being disturbed, and the record holder was first switched on in 1901 and has only been turned off three times since. There's even a webcam on it, here: http://www.centennialbulb.org/photos.htm .    

[BLAKEY]

chameleon wrote: Cardiarms wrote: Anything on Leodis, I've had a quick look but nothing obvious, Danish Blue at the Tatler though! There was a barbers at the other end of the hotel on the access road to the City Station. All I ever found on Leodis when we talked about this before were pictures of the inside taken just before the toilets were opened, strnge there's nothing definitive to show their above ground location. I am pretty sure from memory that the undergound toilets were accessed down very ornate staircases from the Queens Hotel (southern) edge of City Square. The Gentlemen's featured in the legendary "Rag Times", which was a wonderful spoof newspaper published by the University Rag Committee in the 1950s.    The 1953 edition carried an illustrated article about the "University assault on Mount Preston" - an actual picture of Mount Preston with parked cars etc had at the end a pointed cartoon mountain with intrepid climbers just reaching the summit and planting their flag.This epic expedition was reported as having its base camp and starting point in the "subterranean toilets in City Square." The actual event was of course Sir Edmund Hillary's conquest of Mount Everest.

[Cardiarms]

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... AY=FULLAll the photos I can find of the Queens hotel show the pavement immediately outside to be clear of any steps and balustrades, unless the stairs down are inside. My money's still on the balustrades on the left in the pic attached.

[Tasa]

You're right Cardiarms, here's a 1908 map with the evidence.

[BLAKEY]

Tasa wrote: You're right Cardiarms, here's a 1908 map with the evidence. Yes definitely right Tasa and Cardiarms - the lower left staircase on the 1908 plan is exactly where I remembered it but, just another little mystery, the other entrance nearer Mill Hill Chapel does not appear to have been built as the photo shows ??

[Tasa]

There's also a photo of the ladies' on Leodis (blush!):http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

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A couple of maps - 1953

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And now with the dots showing the location of the entrances

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And THIS TIME - now with dots showing the entrance